About Us

Our Mission
The mission of Northern Prairies Land Trust is to enable private landowners in South Dakota and Nebraska to conserve lands for habitat preservation, agriculture, ranching, water resource protection and enhancement, and cultural and historical protection.

Who We Are
Northern Prairies Land Trust was established in 1999 to preserve the unique ecosystems of the Upper Grasslands. We are a non-profit conservation organization with the overall goal of providing land preservation tools to landowners in South Dakota and Nebraska. Since our inception, we have made great strides in securing easements on over 3000 acres, including areas famously chronicled by the explorers Lewis and Clark. We are continually working on new easements and also use our conservation expertise to act as a referral source for other private and governmental organizations.

What We Do
NPLT works with private landowners one-on-one to provide long-term, legally sound conservation strategies to protect the natural and economic elements of their land. Our primary tool for accomplishing our mission is the perpetual conservation easement. With a conservation easement, a landowner is able to protect the unique values of certain lands for all time. NPLT also offers a menu of other tools, as outlined under the “Tools and FAQ’s ” heading.

How We Do It
Even though there are common elements to every easement, such as those precluding subdivision, commercial development and other activities detrimental to soil, water or wildlife habitat, each easement is tailored to the unique character of the land and the conservation goals of its owners. In addition, NPLT works extensively with governmental and private partners to enhance the availability of current conservation programs, and to develop new and innovative solutions for the preservation of natural resources.